1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to portable water filters for removing chlorine and other components that contribute to poor taste and odor. More specifically, this invention relates to a water filter that (i) may be either inserted into the neck of many current commercial plastic soda pop and mineral water bottles to make desirable the re-use of these bottles for drinking filtered tap water or (ii) attached to a straw and used in an open container such as a mug.
2. Description of the State of the Art
Today there is a growing awareness of problems with our tap water. Many people are mainly concerned with the taste of tap water, and secondarily concerned for health-related problems due to contaminants in water. Because of this, there have been increased sales of bottled water and of home water filters over the past ten years. Since it is often difficult to find clean, chlorine-free drinking water away from home, bottled water has become the accepted method of finding potable drinking water while away from home. Bottled water has also become the preferred water for home-use where the user has no need for a water filter to remove the chlorine, lead, Cryptosporidium, etc., from the tap water. Most home filtration devices are relatively expensive, which discourages families and small businesses from purchasing these filtration systems. In addition, there is the convenience factor of purchasing one or two bottles of drinking water at the supermarket. Therefore, when the consumer purchases bottled water, he or she is not just buying the water, but the convenience of having it in a half-or one-quart container.
In the typical home or business, there are many empty mineral water or pop bottles, that are destined for garbage. Because of their great numbers, it would be very convenient to reuse these soda pop or mineral water bottles for drinking water. However, as discussed above, it is usually inconvenient to produce filtered water to pour into these bottles, and, even if the consumer does so, he or she quickly consumes the bottle-full of filtered water away from home and is back to having to refill the bottle with tap water at a business, a friend""s home or a public place.
There is still a need, therefore, for an economical and easy-to-use portable water filter for use with mineral water and/or pop bottles. There is still a need for such a filter that fits universally into a large number of the otherwise-discarded plastic bottles in our homes and businesses, without necessarily requiring modification of the bottles or their caps or in the alternative a filter that may be used.
Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide a liquid filter system that removes chlorine, heavy metals, taste, color, odor and microorganisms from water while at the same time is simple and sanitary to use.
Another object of the invention is to provide a filter in that is so versatile that it can fit into a variety of neck bottles, including existing 28 mm system neck bottles which account for nearly all of the soda pop and mineral water bottles made and distributed throughout North America.
A further object of the invention is to provide a liquid filter system that can also be used in combination with a straw within an open container such as a mug.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of this invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities, combinations, compositions, and methods particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described therein, the apparatus of this invention may comprise a filter media held by a container that may be inserted into a bottle neck, and a flange system connected to the container that rests on and forms a seal between the bottle neck and the bottle closure. In addition, the present invention preferably is adapted to be used with a straw, so that the straw-plus-filter unit may be used in the bottom of a mug or cup.